Well swab



Jan, 29 1929.

I L C. BELL WELL SWAB Filed June 13, 1927 2 "She ets-Sheet l INVENTO e//NEY l ATTOR Fax-0129, 1929. 1,700,305

l. C. BELL WELL SWAB Filed June 13, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORATTORNEY Fig. 2 1s a plan view of the swab,

Patented Jan. 29, 192 9.

UNITED STATES IVAN c. BELL, on

PATENT OFFICE.

DALLAS, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GUIBERSON CORPORATION, OF

DALLAS, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WELL swan.

Application filed June13, 1927. Serial No. 198,853.

arranged so as to increase its wear resisting qualities when compressedand expanded under a load.

A particular object of the invention is to provide a well swabcomprising a plurality of helical flexible strips, each having one endheld a ainst movement, while the opposite ends 0 said strips areconfined in a movablemember whereby said strips tend to move into closecontact and compress under a load, thus more effectively resisting weardue to abrasion; but which, when travelling down ward and free from aload, tend to separate and increase the fluent passage through the bodyof the swab.

A construction designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafterdescribed, to-

gether with other features of the invention."

The invention will be morereadily understood froma reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings,in which an example of the invention is shown and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a ortion of well tubing in section andillustrating in full lines aswab constructed in accordance with theinvention in its unloaded position while in dotted lines a swab is shownin its loaded position,

Fig. .3 is an underside view of the same, Fig. 4 is an elevation ofthe'swab in its loaded or compressed position, I

Fi 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional yiew taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4. f r Inthe drawings the humeral 10 designates a mandrel which is reduced at itslower en and provided with an annular shoulder 11. A circular collar 12is snuglly fitted on the reduced end of the mandre and secured againstthe shoulder by nuts'13 screw-thread ed on the lower end of saidmandrel. The collar 12 is thus firmly secured a ainst rotation. Thiscollar is provided wit upwardly i flared annular trough 14. u Helicallydisposed rubber strips 15 have wise direction the strips will be woundand when the swab is forced downwardly in the their lower tapered ends10 confined in the trough 12 by pins 17 assiug through the Walls ofsaidcollar. 1e strips are equally spaced so that their ends 16 restbetween inlet ports 18 in the bottom of said collar. as is shown inFigs. 3, 5 and 7.

The helical strips 15 are wound upon each I other and have their upperends 19 reduced and fitting in-a dowwardly flared trough 20 formed inthe under side of a collar 21 free to rotate around themand'rel. Theends 19 are secured by pins 22' and are spaced apart so that outletports 23 may be formed therebetween.

It will be noted that the collar 21 is larger 7 than the mandrel so asto leave a passage 24 there-between, as is shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Thispermits the fluid to exert a downward pressure through said passage andin the body of the swab. The strips have their inner sides curvedvertically, as is indicated at 25 in'Figs. 5 and '6. This permits thefluid to accumulate in suflicient quantity within the expa-nsible bodyof the swab and force the strips 15 laterally into engagement with theinner wall of the tubing-26, as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.It will be obvious that the collar 12 attached to the lower ends of thestrips 15 being held against rotation, and the collar 21'being free torotate and secured to the upper ends of said strips, said strips will,upon rotation of the collar 21, either wind or unwind. It is apparentthat when the collar '21 is forced downward and rotated in acounter-cloclr compressed, but upon an upward movement of the. collarand rotation in a clockwise direction, the strips willtend to unwind.Thus,

tubing 26 and is not loaded, the fluid entering through the'ports '18and passing upward between the ends 16 will tend to separate the strips,thus inducing the collar 21 to move upwardly and unwind said strips, asis wil escape through the ports 23.

When the mandrel 10 is pulled upwardly," v v d sh wn in full lines inFig. 1, so that the fluid compound and the term rubber is usedene'rically herein. It is well known that rub er, when expanded,.iseasily cut and does not resist abrasion, but when compressed, rubber isdiflicult to cut and its wear resisting qualities are greatly increased.It is pointed out that the expansion of the,strips would be within afraction of an inch on each side of.

the mandrel and the compression will in all cases give the rubber stripssuch density as to negative the weakening of the rubber due to saidexpansion. The unwinding or elongating of the strips is very important,as it affords a much freer passage for the fluid and permits the swab tobe run down the tubing at a high rate of speed without detrimentaleflects.

Various changes in the size and shape of the different parts, as well asmodifications and alterations, may be made within the scope .of theappended claims.

- What I claim, is:

1. A well swab comprising helically dis posed flexible strips mounted ona mandrel,-

and means for causing a separation of said strips upon a down stroke ofthe swab to provide fluid passages between said strips around themandrel.

2. A well swab comprising a support, a

body composed of flexible strips mounted on the support, non-rotatablemeans carried by the support for securing the strips at one end of thebody, and rotatable means at the other end of the body attached to saidstrips, where by said strips are free to wind and unwind.

3. A well swab comprising a mandrel a bottom collar secured to themandrel, flexible 5. A well swab comprising a mandrel, a

bottom collar secured to the mandrel against rotation a top collarrotatable on the mandrel, and a plurality of rubber stri s woundhelically around the mandrel and t eir ends secured in the collars inspaced order, said collars having fluid ports between the ends of saidstrips.

6. In a well swab, the combination of a mandrel having its lower endreduced and provided with" a shoulder, a bottom collar fastened on themandrel against said shoulder and provided with spaced inlet ports, atop collar rotated and slidable on the mandrel and having spaced outletports, and a plurality of rubber strips dis osed helicall around themandrel between t ecollars wit their ends secured to' the collarsbetween the ports thereof, the top collar having a fluid passage aroundthe inandrel to the strips which 'are spaced from said mandrel.

In testimony wherof I afiix my signature.

IVAN o. BELL.

